Her Quest to be Happy
by Kawaii-Chan789
Summary: FE7. To Priscilla, life after the war is worth nothing without Heath. A rash decision leads her to risk everything to find him… what she discovers causes her to rethink everything that she's ever thought to be true.
1. The Dirt at the Window

Summary: To Priscilla, life after the war is worth nothing without Heath. A rash decision leads her to risk everything to find him… what she discovers causes her to rethink everything that she's ever thought to be true.

I feel that this is not one of the best stories that I have written, however, I really like the theme behind it, so I decided to give it a place on the Internet.

Updates will probably come twice a week, as these chapters (and the whole story itself) are rather short.

Please enjoy.

Review if you wish. I am currently without a beta-reader, so please, don't be afraid to tell me everything you think.

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_**Chapter 1: The Dirt at the Window**_

"_You promised that you would return to me one day, right…?_

_Well… What would you say if I can't wait? What would you say if I told you that I made a mistake and that I need you now? Would it be too much trouble?"_

Priscilla stared distantly into the world outside her window. Her fingertips enjoyed the cold, numbing sensation that radiated into her from the touch of the windowsill. Never had the dead scenery signaling a harsh winter looked so attractive.

"L-Lady Priscilla!" A soft voice sounded from behind her bedroom door. It was not followed by a knock, however, she could almost hear the nervousness behind it.

Forcing herself back into the ability to move, Priscilla tiptoed over to the lock.

At the sound of the lock, the door burst open, much to the surprise of both of the people before it.

"O-Oh! Lucius! This is a… surprise. What are you doing here?" Priscilla's already wide, crimson eyes opened to be even wider, frightening the holy man all the more.

"I… I'm sorry, Lady Priscilla, but your brother… he insisted."

Priscilla sighed, opening the door further to invite in her unexpected guest who should have been more expected than anything. "Of course he would do something that absurd, sending you on a trip alone just for me."

Priscilla ushered him towards the table. Once there, she poured him a cup of tea. "Hopefully it's still warm. I can't remember when it was brought to me."

Lucius brought the tea to his lips and allowed the warmth to take him over. Priscilla could see that he was most grateful, no matter how he tried to mask it through modesty. "The tea is perfect, Lady Priscilla. But anyway… please don't worry about me! It's nothing, I didn't mind the travel! Lord Raymond supplied me well… very well… for the journey, and I'm not needed right now at the orphanage. Some other monks came along with a request for help that I couldn't refuse. Really, truly, it wasn't any trouble. In fact, I cherish any service I can still be to House Cornwell."

"Mmmm…" Priscilla chose to ignore his reasoning, seeing as how any further conversation with it would inevitably lead to and endless stream of similar responses. "So how is my brother, as he had to send you to report on my well- being?" She poured herself her own cup of tea, surprised at how much she relished the soothing liquid.

"Oh, he's just being himself," Lucius sighed, face twisting into a visage of concern, "He has a lot to think about and investigate, trying to accept that it was not Ostia but some unknown force that has caused him these endless years of pain… I tried to tell him to let it go and that I'd help him with whatever he needed, but he just won't listen."

"That's my brother for you, Lucius. You and I both know that much. But we also know that he can take care of himself… we just need to give him the room, no matter how difficult it may seem to do so," There was an awkward pause as they both took long sips of their tea, "But enough about him. Did he ask you to come for anything… specific? As much as he worries… I'm sure that he wouldn't send you all the way here for a mere update on whether or not I'm alive. What news does he have to deliver?"

Lucius' face paled at the question. For a moment, it felt as if time had stopped inside that large bedroom. Priscilla's belongings, both her and Lucius, even the clock appeared to be frozen in an awkward phenomenon of time stop. Eventually, his face fell on a grave expression. "Of course he wouldn't, Lady Priscilla. Well… not entirely. He wants to know about… Heath. He's worried sick about how you are faring without him…"

Priscilla's head lowered as if she'd lost her neck muscles. Never had the swirls of sugar in her tea been noticeable before, yet now, she just wanted to sit there and muse over every little last detail… "Why did I leave him, Lucius?"

Lucius' face crumbled, realizing that perhaps… he'd been used. Was it true that Raven had been fully capable of physically coming to his sister's side, yet had not so that he could put the burden of seeing his sister's emotions on his only assistant and friend? …Not that he could blame the man. "Lady Priscilla… It was the reality, wasn't it? Love… I… I've seen a lot of people forced through the horror, and it has never worked out… G-granted, I'm a holy man, and I've only known few people other than monks-" Shock attacked his face when she interrupted him with a frustrated anger.

"But… why does it have to be like that for me, Lucius? I've always been so demure, I've always lived my life as I've been told to, and for what? So that needing a man that I cannot have can be my reward?" Priscilla stopped cold, realizing how much her voice had risen. "I… I apologize, Lucius, this is horribly unlike me. I… I've just been thinking lately… It's been hard to readjust after the war, regardless of him, so I've been a bit lost."

Lucius also realized just how interesting sugar swirls were. "Lady Priscilla… there is nothing wrong with the way you are. You… You love him but cannot allow that love to exist. Of course you are going to be hurting. Of course you are going to feel as if you are not yourself. Just… take it one day at a time, Priscilla. And… I can stay here as long as you feel me necessary. Neither I nor your brother will accept seeing you like this."

However, Priscilla didn't answer. Instead, she jerked her chair forward, stood up, and returned to her place before the window. Lucius noticed that the otherwise beautiful, spotless rug that covered the room's floor was rather unclean in that one spot, the dirt oddly enough taking the form of Priscilla's boots.

From that point on, Lucius shivered at the sight of her window.

He understood everything clearly, for he seen this happen countless times within his life at a monastery that forbade romantic and sexual involvement. …But understanding the situation meant nothing.

How could he save a noble woman from her love? How could he stop fate? What value did understanding the situation hold if there was nothing that he could do?


	2. The Days That Passed

Wow, Lucius became a much more important part of the story than I had ever planned him to…

I wanted to give a quick shout out to my reviewers: thank you for your words! I have a tough time writing Fire Emblem (mostly in dialogue; the characters are a lot more formal than any others I've ever written) so any and all words of advice I can get are better than gold!

And for those of you who don't review, hey, you're awesome too. =3

May my writing continue to please the few who are interested!

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_**Chapter 2: The Days That Passed**_

The days passed.

A month later, Lucius had almost become a member of House Caerleon. He was now valued as an assistant to Priscilla's adoptive parents and a great man for devoting himself to her well- being.

He and Priscilla had fallen into a regular routine, complete with a daily game of checkers.

"Lady Priscilla…" No answer. "Lady Priscilla." Lucius moved cautiously, even if all he was doing was fixing a loose strand of hair that had fallen from its rightful place behind his ear.

Priscilla's head snapped up. "Y- Yes?" Her voice wavered.

Lucius noticed her shaking arm. It moved to grab one of her checker pieces. His breathing sped up nervously.

But instead of moving it, she placed a finger on it and began to make circles with the red wood. Her chin fell to the palm of her unoccupied hand. The elbow on the table wouldn't stay still: her entire body was shaking.

Lucius sense of alarm rose. He stood up with spastic movements, at a loss of what to do. "Do you need a warm drink, perhaps, my lady? Or do you feel faint? Do you need to lie down?"

"Lucius… am I weak?" Tears began to pool around the fingers of the palm attached to her chin. They looped around each finger, as if refusing with a will of their own to fall from her being, as if chaining and oppressing her flesh.

"No… no, Lady Priscilla, don't say such things! This is just a part of the process…"

She looked at him. It took all that he had to look at her anguished face. Her voice rose, tears distorting and choking it. Yet she still somehow spoke. "Don't baby me, Lucius! I'm not a child anymore! Please, just be honest. I need it. I… I'm so scared… Scared that this could destroy me and bring great pain to my family… more than it already has… Scared that I'm doing this all to myself because I don't want to get over him! I just… I don't know what to do! I try so hard, and yet… I cannot have anything as I want it."

Lucius' mind froze. Fortunately enough for him, his body was able to take over for her. He nearly knocked over the table in an attempt to give her a shoulder to cry on.

"Honestly… I don't think that how strong or weak you are has anything to do with it. The only thing that matters is how we can get you to stop suffering. You have so many people here for you, Lady Priscilla. Your foster family cares for you deeply, and you and I both know that my presence is your brother's way of showing his love. I know that embracing who you have and taking this one day at a time is what will put an end to this."

Priscilla shoved her face into his shoulder, balling up her whimpers in the cloth of his robe. She knew that if there was one time for her to do this, it was now.

Get it all out now, and it would magically go away.

Who knew? Maybe that was all there really was to this…

"Oh, Lucius… I just want to go back to what I had before the war. Before _him_… before he held me and laughed with me and made the whole war bearable… Before the nightmares… before the visions of blood and precious soldiers that I tried so hard to save yet couldn't… I want my life to be free from this madness and that I could just be a pretty, perfect little noble once more… I've changed so much, just hear me speak these words! I don't want to change, yet here I am, a changed, bitter, suffering woman…"

Lucius swallowed a lump in his throat that he had deemed impossible to swallow. "Would you like to sit down on the bed, my lady? Forgive me for holding you so, as it is improper of me, but if you still wish for it, I think that it would go much better if we were in a place where the chair could not get in our way." Lucius became even more nervous, as he'd never been so physically close to a woman before. _'Oh, how meaningless little things can pervade my thoughts even now…'_

Priscilla crudely wiped her nose with the back of her hand and nodded. Just like a child.

Just like an innocent child who has met her first match with the world's malice…

With nothing left between their embrace, Priscilla balled herself up in his shoulder once more. Lucius began to run his hand through her hair, hoping that something, anything, would calm her just a little bit…

Alas, it was mostly ineffective. He began to tear up himself, and before he knew it, he was a recipient of her pain as well, hoping that whatever he felt was taking as much as could be away from her…

Finally, he spoke. He was surprised at just how quiet his voice came out. "Lady Priscilla… would you like me to take you to your brother?"

Priscilla looked up at him in disbelief, as if she didn't believe that such a request was possible. However, it only took her a matter of milliseconds to give a melancholy reply. "I think that would be the right thing to do, Lucius."

He sighed. Perhaps that was what she had wanted all this time, to see the one person who truly knew how to calm her…


	3. The Journey to Her Blood

Whoo! Chapter three! Where stuff happens!

I've had this entire fanfic written for a while now, so I will probably upload the remaining chapters before too much longer. I've returned to college and don't want to forget uploading amongst the bucket loads of other fun things I need to do.

I'll wait to revise this fanfic until the end of the semester because I'm taking intro creative writing. The experience is needed to improve this little story!

Continue to review if you feel so inclined! If you're interested, the revision will come about mid-May.

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_**Chapter 3: The Journey to Her Blood**_

Lucius didn't waste any time. The next day, he approached Priscilla's adoptive parents with his idea. He had been extremely nervous about his proposal, however, they were more than willing to oblige to the idea of her travel.

At the question, Priscilla's mother brought herself ever closer to her husband and said, "We know how love is. If this is the thing that will bring her one step closer to recovery, then we welcome it with arms wide open."

In response, Priscilla's father spoke with confidence, "While it pains us to hear that our daughter will be leaving us so soon after her returning… we have not seen her smile since before the war. We will not stand for that. Whatever must be done will be done. You have full access to whatever money and supplies you will need in the name of House Caerleon."

Lucius bowed to them graciously, knowing just how rare love was in both marriages and families among the aristocratic people. He was truly grateful for everything, for he knew that something like this could be the deciding factor in whether or not Priscilla was ever able to be rid of her sorrow.

He wasted no time, taking advantage of the relationships that he had built with the servants and other hired help to leave that day.

With many grateful bows, he and Priscilla were off shortly after the sun reached its highest point.

As soon as they had vanished from the sight of the castle, Priscilla took advantage of the opportunity to talk to Lucius privately. "Why did we have to leave now? Isn't a little foolish to rob ourselves the benefits of a full day's travel?"

Lucius toyed with his horse's reigns nervously, "And wait any longer for your happiness, Lady Priscilla? Everyone in that castle I talked to found the idea ridiculous."

And, for a brief moment, Lucius thought he saw… a smile.

Alas, it was far too early to make such a conclusion about the red- headed noble just yet.

-III-

The travel was quiet, awkward, and to both noble and monk, far too long.

Camp was very much uneventful as well, complete with Priscilla falling asleep early to avoid awkward conversations with her travel companion.

Lucius, knowing that the onset of darkness was far too early for a man such as he to fall into rest, grabbed a heavy tome from his personal bag and began to meditate on the wisdom in the words written there.

However, it did not take long for his mind to wander, as it was most difficult to focus on reading in the inconsistencies of the fire's light. After a few minutes of an unsuccessful return to reading, he gently closed the book.

Lucius found his eyes wandering to the sleeping form on the other side of the fire.

She looked so… peaceful. For once, her body did not have to retaliate from pain. It rose and fell as if it were relieved that, for these brief few hours, it wouldn't have to fight, it could just exist calmly like it wanted to…

And then… she herself, not just her body, smiled warmly. A smile that only comes every once in a privileged while, that smile of an honored, lucky… or perhaps just naïve person who believes that a happiness will and can last forever.

'_What must it be like for her?' _Lucius thought. In realization that he was rudely staring at a woman, his eyes returned to studying the fire's every movement. _'Every morning, when I wake up, I smile, knowing that today is a new day to heal from the pains of the past. I see it as a chance to grow and work for a chance to live a better life. But what about her? When she wakes up, the smile disappears, and she can't help but long for the dream that she just had. If her dreams are what brings her happiness, why can't they just last forever? If love has to be like this, then why does it exist?'_

He shuddered at his thoughts.

This turn of events had changed them both far too much. But what horrified him the most was the fact that, no matter how he tried to help her and she tried to help herself, neither of them were changing for the better.

-III-

_He took her from her thoughts with a blissful embrace._

_Tears of warmth filled her eyes at his sight; feelings of simplicity entered her at his touch._

_He was… everything to her, and she was everything to him._

_And perfection entered her world._

_With their first kiss came his death._

_Instead of peeling back to stare into her emerald eyes lovingly, he slumped to the ground. His dark blood pooled around her feet._

_A man smiled in bloodlust and dashed away in the ecstasy of a sinful victory._

Priscilla awoke suddenly in the middle of the night.

Reality had finally entered her dreams…

With small, gentle movements, Priscilla avoided making any sound. Lucius' unconscious form was her only obstacle, however, it proved to be of no threat.

It took no time for her to fully equip her horse and straddle herself onto his back.

He snorted in protest and refused to move. In response, she leaned forward with the purpose of whispering in its ear as if she was skilled in the art of manipulating animals, "Come now, don't be unreasonable. We have to leave _now_ or else we won't have enough of a lead to avoid Lucius' pursuit."

The horse didn't complain, instead, it dashed off into the rising sun.

Tears flowed from Priscilla's eyes and into the wind.

'_I'm sorry, Mother, Father, everyone else of House Caerleon, Brother, Lucius… and especially you, Heath. I know that this is the most foolish thing that I have ever attempted. I will probably die in the process, as how can a lone woman successfully survive in an unknown land? But… everyone, please understand… I must do this. I must see him, even if it spells out my demise.'_


	4. The Choices That One Must Make

I loved writing Vaida because she really stands out in the Fire Emblem crowd. Everyone else is so polite, while she… isn't. It's a nice change of pace.

This is where I start to feel unsure about the plot's strength, so please, don't hold back if you so desire to review!

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_**Chapter 4: The Choices That One Must Make**_

When Lucius awoke with the sun, he could only understand the note that had been left to him.

…But while he may have been able to understand what Priscilla was doing, how was he to accept it?

His head began to swim. What was he supposed to do? Continue his course to her brother and bring him into the search? Or not waste any time and search for her on his own?

Only one thing was for sure.

He had no time to be pondering such things.

He would have to decide while his horse sprinted down the dirt path. After all, she couldn't have gone too far yet.

It didn't take long for him to realize that the speed in her overwhelming desires were no match for what he could do in his urgency.

His decision was made.

With a contact of his teeth to his lip that caused a pool of blood to form on his skin, Lucius changed his destination to Araphen.

-IV-

The travel was rather uneventful for Priscilla besides the burning hole in her chest that demanded she see Heath.

Once she had made it into her first of Bern's towns, she immediately enjoyed it. She simply couldn't resist the energy radiating from every living being that walked by, from the tallest human to the smallest mouse.

A few inquires to the rather polite and joyful townsfolk gave her the information that this city had been deeply affected by the war and almost destroyed. However, its natives had banded together with pride in their home and create what she saw now.

Priscilla now realized what she had missed out on in her whole life as a noble. Her surroundings had always been prim, proper, and dully quiet. For a brief moment, she was able to forget everything… and just take in the sights, sounds, and smells of civilization, the lives of the average worker.

It was only after seeing a small army of wyvern knights in training did she remember what she had come to this country for.

Heath.

Suddenly, the name didn't bring her the pang of pain that it once had.

A jolt of realization shot through her.

Maybe what she thought she had needed… wasn't what she had needed at all.

Maybe all that she had needed was a life of her own, a life that she could enjoy not because she was put into it, but because she chose that life.

However, she immediately put the ideas outside of her mind. She had come here to find her love, her life, Heath… and that was what she was going to do, because that was what would make her the most happy in life.

Right?

Priscilla just shook her head, unwilling to allow renegade thoughts infiltrate her otherwise enjoyable time in Bern.

Whatever peace that she attempted to have in her life was ended when the wyvern knights caught sight of her passing by. Well… it wasn't the wyvern knights that noticed her so much as it was their leader.

"Well what do you know…" Priscilla freaked out as a wyvern and a flash of red armor stopped her dead in her tracks, "It's _that_ girl."

"Um…?" Was all Priscilla could muster. Her horse cried out in a shrill whinny and took a few steps back all while trying to look tough.

"Hm. That's funny. You don't know anything about me, yet I know all about _you._" The woman jumped off her winged mount to fall gracefully on the sharp heels of her boots. She began to study Priscilla without any regard for the noble's sanity.

Priscilla tried to keep a straight, unaffected face. "Excuse me, but I am looking for someone."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know _all _about _that_. Heath wouldn't stop whining until I agreed to give you any and all help I could if you ever landed yourself in this country."

Priscilla's ears perked up at this bit of dialogue. In response to the reassuring words, she petted her horse to get it to calm down. "Then… please forgive my frankness, but what information can you give me?"

The woman cackled at Priscilla's request. "Don't ever say anything like that to me! I'm all about being frank. Come with me and I'll tell you what little I can. I promise that it will be useful information. Vaida."

Priscilla's cheeks flushed red, as they always did when she was introducing herself to someone. "Well, I suppose that you already know me well enough, so… nice to meet you, Vaida."

Vaida remounted her wyvern and ordered it to fly away. Priscilla took this as a gesture to follow her home and proceeded to do so.

Meanwhile, half the members of her wyvern knights in training army all stared at each other dumbfounded as they realized that their trainer had completely abandoned them. The other half cheered and proceeded to enjoy their first lazy afternoon since they had been assigned under Vaida's control.

-IV-

Once the two were settled at the dining table, Vaida presented Priscilla with a hot drink.

Ignoring her burning taste buds, Priscilla quickly downed the liquid.

"I didn't expect you to be so thirsty, so I didn't make any more than that."

"Oh, it's fine, Vaida. You're gracious enough to give me what you have so far." Priscilla bowed as best anyone possibly could while sitting at a table.

"Don't bother me with any more of that politeness. I was never fond of it."

Priscilla simply nodded.

"Now, here's what I know. It's good news and bad news. Good: I know where Heath is. Bad: he's no longer in this country. He could only find work in Ilia as a mercenary."

Priscilla's body went cold. Her heart dropped like a glacier.

"Don't worry. I know exactly what guild he works for. It's a good place, I recommended him to them. Just show up on the doorstep and name drop."

Priscilla nodded. She felt strong despite the tears falling from her eyes.

"That's all I know. Yes, I could have told you that while we were standing there. But Heath insisted that you were to be well fed and cleaned before you set off for Ilia."

Priscilla stared at Vaida, blankly, finally realizing what this all meant. "He… knew I would come after him?"

"Looks like he knows you better than you know yourself, girlie." Vaida reached behind herself to grab a fruit bowl. She presented it to Priscilla with the only smile she knew - a cruel one. "Enjoy a little something while I make a real meal. And get comfy. You're staying the night."

Priscilla nodded once more before grabbing a pear and taking a large bite out of it.


	5. What's Best is Not what We Wish For

Not much to say at this specific point.

Enjoy. Review if you wish.

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_**Chapter 5: What's Best is Not What We Wish For**_

Lucius appeared before Raven unlike he had ever been seen before.

The always clean and innocent looking monk was no more. Not that he looked exceptionally dirty and changed, no, it was nothing of that sort. He merely looked like a traveler. Still, somehow, the look clashed in such a way that Lucius hardly made it look normal.

He opened his mouth to speak, however, Raven didn't give him the time to.

"She's gone, isn't she?"

Lucius nodded like a child that had been rejected yet still had to somehow silently accept the fact that he couldn't have his favorite toy.

Raven sighed, but not at the idea of his sister, rather, he sighed at the look Lucius gave him. "Don't be like that. You had to have known that she was capable of this. I almost expected it."

Shock flew over Lucius' face. "Lord Raymond… you…"

Raven scowled. "Well, what are you waiting for? We have to go find her, right?"

"Y- Yes, of course, Lord Raymond!"

"Then pack your warmest robe. We're going to Ilia."

Lucius went to return to his belongings, but stopped in mid- turn around.

"But… surely, she went to Bern, as that's where Heath is from…"

Raven grabbed his sword and an extra set of clothing: all a man like him would need to travel with. "Yeah? My sister is in love with the man, Lucius. You think that I wouldn't keep up on all of the information about him? You think that I would allow my sister to be handed over to just anyone?"

The monk couldn't help but smile at his lord.

-V-

Priscilla's journey went surprisingly well.

With her title in Etruria, she was able to secure a living by sharing stories of her country and noble life with the most curious of Bern's citizens who were willing to give her a free night's stay.

It amazed her, really. A country that was known for all of it's questionable characters within the royal and noble families had some of the kindest average people she had ever met. Maybe the common people did deserve more than they had… but wasn't that what had made the royalty the way they were in the first place?

The world was a strange place to her, but now, being here, able to explore it all… she was learning so much. And she wanted it that way. She now realized what she had missed out on as an innocent little noble girl locked away in a castle. It made her think that the truly privileged were, well… everyone but her.

Of course, she couldn't be so foolish as to think that everything was simple and happy for a commoner, as she'd seen how nobles treated their lower class workers like disposable toys, but still…

The world was far different than she had ever imagined it to be.

Priscilla was rather satisfied with this. Despite not yet succeeding in what she had traveled for, she felt as if fate was smiling upon her wishes.

With her seemingly never ending line of resources, Priscilla made it through Bern with ease. Sacae was a much more boring travel, however, it was a much easier journey than the hilly terrain of Bern.

With just enough money left to buy winter clothing for her adventure to Ilia, all seemed to be going in her favor…

-V-

Her horse arrived at the mercenary base as tired as, well, it should be. She tied him to a small, dying tree just outside of the main building. With a good dose of petting and an extra blanket, he was content enough to give his body the rest that it so desperately needed.

With that done, she walked in.

The air was thick with activity and the smell of iron weapons. It overwhelmed her.

The first woman within a five foot distance of Priscilla stopped to welcome her. "You definitely aren't from around here! Not that that matters if you're looking for work. What do you do? We'll find a place for you here, don't worry."

Something ominous sent a slight shiver through Priscilla. "Actually… I'm looking for someone. An ex- wyvern knight from Bern came here looking for work some time ago… I was told that he would most certainly be here. Heath. Would you know of him?"

The woman's face contorted to a frown. "Oh, sweetie… he… was outnumbered while on a mission. He… and his teammates… didn't stand a chance… and left us forever."


	6. The Life She Lived Afterwards

Welp, the ending is here, folks.

I'm really not quite sure what to think about it. It seems unrealistic to me, but then again… the fact that everyone is always happy after a war is as unrealistic as it gets, yet this is exactly what the in-game character endings always have happen.

Enjoy. Review if you wish. Remember, revisions will probably come in mid-May.

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_**Chapter 6: The Life She Lived Afterwards**_

Five years later, Lucius and Raven left Araphen to visit Priscilla.

While they had never found her physically, they had accepted the end of her search once learning of her whereabouts.

But they couldn't be left wondering about her forever.

Neither of them knew what to expect, however, that was of no care to them. As long as she was okay.

A cheerful 'come in!' greeted their knock on the wood door.

Priscilla appeared before them not aged, but with a more youthful glow than she'd ever had before. "Come on in! I made tea, I hope that's what you'd both like."

The men nodded, more interested in assessing her living conditions than the refreshing warmth of tea.

The house was modest but beautiful, just as Priscilla had always preferred, even with the luxurious options that she had always been available to her.

"You two come right in and make yourselves comfy at the table! I'm sorry that I can't attend to you too personally just yet, but I have to make sure that the bread doesn't burn! The dough turned out so beautiful that it would be a shame to ruin the final project."

Raven and Lucius looked at each other, slightly confused. However, being the guest that they were, they chose to silently obey Priscilla regardless of their mental states.

Once she had finished slicing her bread, she placed it on the table and made herself comfortable with her own cup of tea. "So…" she paused to smile, "I suppose that you two want me to start at the beginning, don't you?"

Still in shock over her newfound outgoing behavior, Lucius and Raven merely nodded.

"Fair enough. After I had discovered everything I could at the mercenary guild, I chose to stay there for a short time, as I had an epiphany I'd been awarded with during my travels to think over.

"Maybe… what I had wanted wasn't Heath after all. Maybe… I'd wanted a life of my own. Within a few days, I was sure of what I needed. I needed a life of my own, not the life of some stuffy noble. Yearning for the past… just wasn't satisfying. I was so sick of it. I _had _to get over Heath. I would have given up anything to get over Heath. So I did. I chose to give up everything. The only thing I could do was cast everything I had ever known aside and live my own life. I didn't care if, in this life, we are given roles, and I was given the life of a noble woman. I was going to be happy. No matter what the risks meant.

"I'd loved my time in Bern. The activity of a lively town made me forget all about him and simply enjoy life for what it is. I returned here without hesitation. The people, fascinated with the idea that an Etrurian noble could live amongst them, welcomed me and almost immediately gave me a position amongst the town restoration project. Since then, I've been spending almost all of my time rebuilding the town and helping the people live their lives. And… I discovered that it made me happy."

Priscilla paused for a moment to clear her throat and look both men straight in the eyes, "My dear brother… and Lucius… I love my life… because I took the risk to go for what I wanted."

Raven and Lucius stared at her with no knowledge of what to say.

She had been expecting this answer. However, no matter how she had prepared for it, she couldn't come up with a good response.

So, instead, she took note of the now lukewarm bread in the middle of the table. She presented her brother and the monk with a question that at least sounded serious: "Is my bread really that bad?"

_End_


End file.
